Of Lions and Tigers
by Signora Ted
Summary: Lady Bethany of Tarth has given up her passion of archery and combat so that her older sister Brienne may explore the freedom they both dreamed of as young girls. Instead, she finds herself looking for a husband. But of course, when her sister gets tangled into a Lannister mess, Bethany can't help but get tied up in it as well. Jaime/Oc, rating may change.


_**A/N: My first Game of Thrones story, so please be kind. I'm in the process of reading the books so this is mostly just based on the show, but I'm using some reference's from the books as well. (information that's not given in the show.) I want to establish that this will be a Jaime/Oc fic before I even start this. So read on folks and let me know if you think I should continue! I'm just playing around with this at the moment so I'll decide with feedback.**_

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><p>"My lady Bethany,"<p>

The servant's voice tore the blonde haired woman away from her sewing. Looking up at him, she lay her hands down into her lap, on top of the leather tunic she had been fixing.

"Yes, Orwan, how can I help you?"

"Lord Tyrion asks for you. He wishes to know if you would join him for your evening meal."

At that precise moment, the woman's stomach growled loudly, startling both her and the boy that stood at her door.

"Well, I suppose that answers it. Tell him I shall be along in a few minutes. Just allow me to freshen up and put these things away."

Orwan bowed his head and turned on his heel quickly, heading off towards Lord Tyrion Lannister's chambers, leaving Bethany to herself in her room. Sighing, she stood up from the wooden chair she had leaning against the window sill that overlooked the gardens, and dropped the tunic down onto her bed nearby.

She had torn a hole on the back of it, and subsequently grazed the back of her shoulder against the hard ground she had sparred on. The wound had healed by now, the fall having occurred well over a month beforehand, back in Tarth, where she was free to roll around in the dirt and receive cuts and bruises without putting off prospective husbands. But she would do her duty and allow Brienne the freedom that had both yearned for since they were young.

With another sigh, she ran her hands through her long, wavy hair to ensure there were no knots tangled in it, and then braided it to the side. When she was certain her simple blue dress had no wrinkles and she looked presentable, she began to make her way down the halls to Lord Tyrion's chambers.

While he was sometimes exceedingly cynical and darkly witty, Bethany found the Lannister dwarf the best company in King's Landing. And although he wasn't known as a desirable suitor among the ladies of the court, he was a Lannister and the heir to Casterly Rock, and above all, he was _tolerable._ It seemed that he felt the same of her, as they had dined together more and more often in the last two weeks. And so, Bethany went out of her way to look appealing to him.

In a way, Bethany was fortunate she looked quite different to her older twin sister. While Brienne was tall and broad, Bethany was short and petite. Their father used to make the joke that Brienne obviously didn't want a twin sister while in the womb, and tried to take up all the space, resulting in their drastic difference in size. However they both had the same strong jaw line, same sapphire blue eyes and the very same shade of blonde hair. Although, Brienne had insisted on chopping all hers off for convenience sake, and did little to care for it, resulting in her short locks to become brittle and straw-like. Bethany looked after her appearance in general. Instead, her hair fell down to her shoulders in waves, and was soft to touch. Her father had insisted that she keep herself looking well. Afterall, she was the one who was to continue on the Tarth House and name.

Smoothing down her skirts once more, she knocked on Lord Tyrion's chamber door and waited for his call. Instead, the door was opened by the dwarf himself.

"Why, Lady Bethany, you look simply ravishing this evening. Come in! I shall pour us some wine!"

When the door closed behind her, Bethany smiled and waltzed into his rooms, making her way over to the small table where their dinner sat. Tyrion sat down opposite her and poured wine from a glass pitcher that had been sitting on the table, into both their goblets.

"Now," he started as he picked up his knife and fork and began cutting into the slab of pork on his plate. "You were going to continue your story that you had been telling me... when was it? Last week? Yes, we were out in the gardens. Do continue."

"Oh really, Lord Tyrion. You don't want to hear stories of my antics as a child. I have no idea why I had even begun that story!"

"I tell you _truthfully_, the tale was simply riveting."

Bethany narrowed her eyes at him, their playful banter beginning already.

"Your wit will get you nowhere in life, my lord."

"That is so. Had I not been born to my wonderfully merciful father, I imagine I would have been hanged by now. Or more likely beheaded and mounted on King Joffrey's bedroom wall for all the threats I have made to the little twit."

"Sush now, my lord. You wouldn't want to sound treasonous. I would be most sadden should you disappear during the night."

Tyrion smirked and placed his cutlery down beside his plate, and clasped his hands together while leaning forward on his elbows that were in the table.

"And would you weep for me, my lady?"

"Of _course, _my lord. My world would be darkened without your light and joyful self."

"How rude of you, Lady Bethany. I sense sarcasm in your words and they wound my heart."

Bethany rolled her eyes and placed her own knife and fork down onto the table as she munched in her last carrot. She was about to come back with a smart quip but was stopped by the dwarf.

"Sadly, I must somber the mood of this meeting with some news."

Bethany froze, swallowing with anxiety. _Don't be Brienne, don't be Brienne._

"You said that your sister was serving on Renly Baratheon's guard. She's being accused of his murder-"

"_What!?"_

"Give me a moment, would you? And sit down!"

His voice had turned aggressive as he pointed down at her. It was only then she realised that she had stood up from her chair. Quietly and timidly, she sank back down into the chair and went bright red.

"You must remain calm. Now, she had been in the lord's tent with Lady Catelyn Stark at the time and is allegedly innocent, but the fact remains that she is now stained, her name is branded. Also, Renly is dead. It's a pity, you said she liked him."

There was an awkward silence in the room, the only noise being the crackling of the fire. Finally, Bethany looked up to the dwarf from her lap.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Tyrion looked startled and confused. "I thought you'd like to know...?"

She rose a thin brow.

"I _knew _that you would want to know. And I suppose I knew no one else would inform you. Your father knows you would run off to her to make sure she was okay, abandoning your hunt for a husband."

"Family comes first."

Tyrion let out a bark of laughter and shook his head when Bethany stared at him, puzzled,

"Were you in my loving family, family and duty coming first is one and the same. I knew you would want to go to your sister, which is why I didn't keep this from you. Go. Head off while it's dark. I shall make something up to give you time when your father comes asking for you."

The smile that graced Bethany's lips was genuine and sweet. She swiftly stood up and crouched down beside Tyrion's chair. His face went into shock when her arms wrapped around him in an embrace. It was the first affectionate touch from a woman other than a whore had given him in a very long time.

"Thank you, my lord. You are a true friend."


End file.
